Author: Michael Jones

Fiber is important for bodybuilders and athletes mainly because it assists in adding bulk to ones diet. It is a known fact that fruits and vegetables are valuable in providing fiber. Fiber represents that portion of the food which is not digested but helps the intestines to move the waste along. A certain amount of fiber is necessary in the diet of every human being. Constipation is many times caused by lack of sufficient fiber and you have to make sure that your diet is varied enough to provide the needed dietary fiber for the intestinal wastes. Therefore, unless your…

Frank Zane was born on June 28, 1942 in Kingston, Pennsylvania and he is an American former professional bodybuilder and teacher. Zane is a three-time Mr. Olympia (1977 to 1979). He is one of only three people who have beaten Arnold Schwarzenegger in a bodybuilding contest (1968 Mr. Universe in Miami, Florida) and one of the very few Mr. Olympia winners under 200 pounds. Overall, he competed for over 20 years (retiring after the 1983 Mr Olympia contest) and won Mr America, Mr Universe, Mr World and Mr Olympia throughout his illustrious career. He has written many courses and books…

Eugen Sandow was born on April 2, 1867 with the name Friedrich Wilhelm Müller and he was a Prussian pioneering bodybuilder known as the “father of modern bodybuilding”. He left Prussia in 1885 to avoid military service and traveled throughout Europe, becoming a circus athlete and adopting Eugen Sandow as his stage name. He made his first appearance on the London stage in 1889. In 1894, Sandow featured in a short film by the Edison Studios. The film was of only part of the show and features him flexing his muscles rather than performing any feats of physical strength. While…

Although resistance training is safer than most people think, all forms of training have an inherent risk of injury. Fortunately, nearly all of these injuries can be avoided by following these ten common-sense recommendations offered by Charles Staley, a famous sports and strength coach and expert: 1. Don’t lift weights alone. Accidents can be avoided when a training partner is there to help.Bench pressing is particularly dangerous— many have died after becoming trapped under a weight they couldn’t lift back up. If you must bench alone, use dumbbells or a machine press. 2. Don’t lift weights unless you know what…

Many bodybuilders and athletes that used to train bare foot decided to stop this procedure. There are several reasons for that. Feet are highly complex structures. Foot defects are very common, and a defect affects how stresses placed on the feet are borne by the feet and the rest of the body. When forces on the feet are exaggerated by high-load activities such as heavy weight training, and running, the defects are magnified. While foot defects might not be the whole story behind foot, ankle, knee or back problems, they are contributing factors, perhaps major ones. It is recommended to…

A typical approach to weight loss would be to recommend some fixed calorie level to everyone, although usually men and women are given different recommendations (i.e. 1200 and 1500-1800 cal/day for men and women respectively). However that maintenance calorie requirements depends on both activity level and bodyweight. Telling men (whether he’s highly active and weighs 150 lbs or inactive and weighs 400 lbs) that they should eat the same number of calories for weight loss is either ignorance or just laziness or may be both. Another typical approach would be to recommend that everyone reduce their daily caloric intake by…

Every movement begins with a muscle contraction, which pulls on a joint to move your skeleton. These muscle contractions can be categorized into one of three distinct types: 1. Concentric.During concentric contractions the muscle shortens while generating force. In general, concentric muscle actions are responsible for the ‘lifting’ part of an exercise, such as the biceps shortening as you lift a dumb-bell to shoulder height during a biceps curl. 2. Eccentric.During eccentric contractions – usually the ‘lowering’ part of an exercise – the muscle lengthens and is around ten per cent stronger than it is during concentric contractions. It is…

A proper warm-up is vital before doing any weight training. If time is short, don’t be tempted to skip the warm-up and go straight to your workout, because cold muscles can get easily damaged. A few minutes spent on a warm-up can prevent days lost while recovering from injury. Your warm-up should start with some light cardiovascular exercise, such as running, rowing or cycling. This will make your heart beat faster, pumping oxygen and nutrients to your muscles, and elevate your body’s core temperature. Warm muscles are more elastic than cold ones, so you can work them through a wider…

Muscles are constructed of bundles of fibers contained in protective sheaths, called fascia, which are then bundled together. The biggest bundle is the muscle itself. The next bundles in line are the fascicles, which contain the long, single-celled muscle fibers. Muscle fibers are then sub-divided into myofibrils, which are divided again into bundles of myofilaments, made up from chains of sarcomeres. There are several important elements in the construction of our muscles:

First advice: take care of your diet – you should know that after the process of workout your muscles need to recuperate and relax. Your body needs to get a constant amount of proteins. It is important to make sure that you consume small protein rich meals every 2 to 3 hours. Missing out enough protein will make your muscles in an unrepaired state and they will not be able to further develop properly. Second advice: find the proper workout system that is suitable for your body type – the exercises that you undertake initiate the production of natural testosterone…